The present invention relates to an office chair, and more particularly to a forward tilt assembly for the office chair to selectively tilt the chair seat forward.
Conventional office chairs are designed to provide significant levels of comfort and adjustability. Office chairs commonly provide rearward vertical reclining of the seat and back relative to the chair base. The seat and back assemblies are typically urged by springs into a normal position where the seating surface is approximately horizontal or slanted rearward at a small angle. In such chairs, a recline control mechanism typically connects the seat and back assemblies so that they may recline rearward together in response to movements by the chair occupant. Further, such chairs typically permit the back to also move relative to the seat during such rearward reclining, which is sometimes referred to as a synchro-tilt. Chairs having such construction are conventional, and have been utilized in offices and other environments for many years.
Chairs have also been developed which enable the seat to effectively pivot forward from the normal upright position. That is, the rear portion of the seat can be moved upward (or the front portion moved downward) such that it slopes downward in a forward direction so that the rear of the seat is at an elevation above, or level with, the front of the seat. This forward tilt feature on the seat has been found to be highly desirable for individuals who like to sit on the front edge of the chair or for those in many of the more intensive work environments, such as when the chair occupant is working on a keyboard. However, if not supported properly, the tilted posture may increase ergonomic risks due to reduced support from the chair seat. Further, including a forward seat tilt feature, especially into chairs that also include synchronous rearward reclining of the seat and back has created complications regarding the lack of physical space on/under the chair seat for all of the components required for these features.